Aircraft windshield and hatch



Feb. 15, 1938 I l. M. LADDON 2,108,289

AIRCRAFT WINDSHIELD AND HATCH Filed June 6, 1935 INVENTOR LAAC M.L'ADDON.

ATTORN EY V 25 shield and other devices.

Patented Feb. 15, 1938 amca'ar'r WINDSHIELD AND HATCH Isaac M. Laddon,Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Consolida'ted Aircraft Corporation,acorporation of Delaware Application June s, 1935, Serial No. 25,234

4 Claims.

My invention relates to aircraft and more particularly to a combinedwindshield and cover for a hatch or other opening therein.

It is often a requirement in the design and 5 construction of presentday aircraft that hatches or auxiliary cockpits be provided in the bodythereof, especially in aircraft -of the military type and flying boats.These openings are usually separated from the main cockpit or cabin ofthe aircraft, and since the same are intended to be used during flight,it is essential that means he provided to protect the occupants thereoffrom the airstream, which at speeds of modem air- .craft attainsconsiderable force.

It also frequently occurs that an aircraft provided with such openingsor cockpits, andprotective means therefor, are'required to fly for longperiods of time under conditions in which there is no necessity for useof the auxiliary cockpit or hatch and its associated windshield.-

Therefore, it becomes desirable under such conditions to reduce theparasite resistance of the aircraft by covering the opening and,whenever possible, by dispensing with the projecting wind- Under suchconditions, the windshield may be removed and a separate cover providedfor the hatch or cockpit opening, but it has been found that suchpractice is cumbersome and highly inconvenient, and

- for other reasons. has not proven to be satisfactory. I

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a singlecover member utilizable both as a hatch or cockpit cover and as awindshield for the protection of the occupant of the cockpit, or acombination of the two uses at the same time.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device whichcan be readily moved to a forward position and adjustably tilted to anydesired angle for use as a windshield. It is also an object to providesuch a device which is adapted to lie flat against the fuselage surfaceand to be substantially streamlined therewith in both the covered anduncovered conditions of the hatch.

It is also an object to provide such a combination windshield and hatchcover whichis readily operable from within and without the fuselage,

= and which is capable of being releasably fastened to any position towhich it may be adjusted.

My invention attains the above objects by means of a relatively simpleconstruction comprising a longitudinally sliding member pivotallyprovided with rollers at its forward end and provided with releasablefastening and tilting means at its rearward end.

Other no less important objects will appear from a reading of theannexed specification and claims, and from an examination of the drawing5 forming a part hereof, it being understood that the embodiment of theinvention shown and described herein is by way of an example only andthat other forms coming within the scope of the claims are intended tobe included herein. 10

In the accompanying drawing in which like characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts. in all the views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an aircraft in which a preferredembodiment of my invention is 15 shown;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the combination windshield andhatch cover shown in Fig. 1, and in which several of the variouspositions of the windshield and cover are shown in 20 dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a perspective 'view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a further enlarged cross-sectional detail of the fuselageportion, showing the roller and guide rail assembly at the forward endof the '25 windshield, taken along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 2;

. and

i the purpose either of providing access to the interior of the craft,or which is adapted to be 00- 35 cupied during flight by a machinegunner, or observer. Just forward"of the hatch I is shown a windshield 8having its lower forward end in close proximity to the top of the body 6between.

the longitudinally extending guide rails u, and 40 having attached toits rearward upper end, adjusting rods I2 which extend into the hatch orcockpit opening 1.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the relative position of the windshield shownin Fig. 1 is indicated by the 45 full line position at A. Thecombination hatch and windshield member 8 .is preferably constructed ofsheet metal bent from a substantially rectangular sheet and having alateral curvature corresponding substantially to that of the top surfaceof-the fuselage, and of a length and width which are somewhat greaterthan the corresponding dimensions of the hatch opening I in order thatit will lap or extend thereover when in the closed position. The cover 8is preferably provided in its central portion with a transparentwindshield 2| constructed of glass or other suitable transparentmaterial and fixedly held within the opening in the. cover 8 by means ofthe frame member 22.

The combination hatch cover and windshield 8 is provided at its lowerforward comers with wheels or rollers 9 adapted to rotate freely uponthe transversely extending pins forming a part of the fittings [8 whichare riveted or otherwise rigidly fastened to the corners of the cover 8.Extending longitudinally forward of the hatch opening I and spaced aparta distance somewhat greater than the width thereof, are provided twoguide rails II which may be substantially Z- shaped as shown, and areriveted or otherwise fastened through their lower flanges to the outersurface of the fuselage 6. The upper substantially horizontal flanges ofthe rails I extend toward and face the corresponding 7 ange of the otherrail and are both adapted to f tracks between the lower surfaces ofthese flanges and the upper surface of the body 6 such that the cover 8and wheels 9 are free to slide therebetween in a fore and aft direction.The spacing of the parallel rails II is such that the member 8 isrestrained from excessive lateral movement due to the clearance betweenthe edges of the member 8 and the edges of the upper flanges of therails l I and a similar clearance space between the upstanding stem orweb of the rail H and the rounded end of the pivot pin of the roller 9.

Hinge fittings 13 attached to the lower surface of the cover member 8,adjacentto the rear corners of the same, are provided with downwardlyextending perforated ears through which pins M are transverselypositioned to provide a, pivot for the obliquely extended supporting armor rod I2.

.A swiveling fitting I is provided on the interior wall of each side ofthe hatch 1, and the rods l2 are adapted to be passed through suchfittings and clamped at any desired position and angle by means of theclamping wheel or thumb screw 16. The fittings l5, when the thumb screwsare in their released positions, permit tilting of the supporting arms[2 through a number of various positions within a substantially verticalplane, being free to rotate about its base portion, which is securelyfastened to the fuselage 6, and to rotate about the transverselyextending axis of the thumb screw l6, which is normal to the planedescribed by the supporting arms. The arms l2 are provided at theirlower extremities with a knob or ball-shaped protuberance I! whichserves as a surface against which the operator may push the rodsforwardly or withdraw them to a rearward position, and which servesfurther to prevent the rod from accidentally passing through the openingin the swiveling fitting I5. These knobs are preferably threaded tothe-rod ends to facilitate removal of the entire cover assembly ifdesired.

The cover 8 is further provided in its central portion'near its rearwardedge with a T-shaped handle l8 which is rotatably attached to the sheetmember 8 extending downwardly therethrough and provided at its lowerportion with another T-shaped member comprising tongues I9 which areadapted to be extended into the recess 28 in thehull 6 at the rearwardedge of the hatch opening I when the cover is fully retracted to itsclosed position, thereby preventing accidental removal of the cover fromthis position. Either tongue portion is adapted to be used as a handleoperable from within the fuselage to engage or release the other tongueportion.

In operation, it will be noted that as the cover is located near itsextreme forward position, indicated at A in Fig. 2, its lower forwardend will rest upon the rollers 9 in close proximity to the upper surfaceof the hull 6 and will be restrained from any vertical movement by theupper flanges of the rails Ii. The rearward or top end of the windshield8 is supported by the obliquely extending arms I! which are rigidlyclamped to the hatch side wall by means of the swiveling fittings andclamps l5 and 16. In the position indicated at A, it will be noted thatthe member 8 forms a windshield affording the occupant of the cockpitadequate protection from the airstream 'while permitting him to look ina forward direction through the transparent windshield portion 2 I.

Should it be desired to increase or decrease the angle of inclination ofthe cover member 8, or to partially cover the hatch opening, such as forinstance the position which would be indicated by the dotted lines at Bin Fig. 2, this can be readily accomplished by releasing the thumbscrews I6 and moving each rod l2 through its swiveling fitting l5, andthe cover- 8 in the required directions sufiicient distances until thecover member 8 assumes the desired position at which it may be fixedlyclamped and held by tightening the thumb screws 46. The rollers serve asa pivot about which the windshield may be rotated to any of thesepositions and serve further as a movable or translatable pivot pointwhich may be positioned at any point intermediate the ends of the railsH and adapt the cover to be rotated about that point. Regardless of thepoint at which the roller may be positioned for rotation or inclinationof the cover member 8, when the rod is securely clamped by means of thefitting and thumb screws I5 and IS, the rollers 9 will be securely heldat that point.

When it is desired to cover the hatch opening 1 by withdrawing the cover8 into the closed position indicated by the dotted lines at 'C in Fig.2, the thumb screws l6 are released permitting the rear end of the hatchcover 8 to be dropped to the upper surface of the fuselage 6 andretracted to its rearmost position where one of the tongues l9 mayengage the recess-in the rear wall of the hatch. When in this position,the free, or knob end I! of the rod l2 will swing about the swivelingfitting l5 as an axis into a position where it will extend in a forwarddirection as indicated by MC. In this closed position indicated by thedotted lines at C, the hatch cover 8 is substantially streamlined withthe surface of the hull or fuselage 6 and ofiers a minimum of resistanceor aerodynamic drag during flight of the aircraft.

The cover member 8 may also be pushed forwardly along the rollers 9until the handle I8 with its attached tongue l9 prevents further forwardmovement by striking the forward edge of the hatch opening I. At thisposition of the cover indicated by the dotted lines D in Fig. 2, thecover member may be adjustably held by tightening the thumb screws IS,the rearward position of the rods l2 assuming the dotted positionindicated at l2d. This position of substantially full hatch opening isalso one wherein the cover is streamlined with the hull 6, a conditionwhich is sometimes desirable when the cient distance to prevent thecover being pushed -to a position where the rollers 9 would becomedisengaged, or stops may be provided to limit the fore and aft movementof the rollers.

It will be notedthat in all of the extended or retracted positions ofthe combination windshield and hatch cover 82l, the windshield, thesupporting arms l2 and the hull 6 each form the sides of a trianglewhich may be caused to assume a plurality of fixed shapes and positionswith respect to the hull. This triangle has only one side which is fixedin length, being that of the cover member portion 8 between the axis ofthe rollers 9. and the pivot pins Id. The other two sides of thetriangle, namely, the adjustable rod arm I2, and the hull portion alongthe track H, are subject to being varied considerably in length,depending on the position of the rollers 9. The three angles of the saidtriangle having their vertices at the roller 9, the pivot pin l4 and theswiveling fitting l5 are all adjustable and variable. The position andinclination of the windshield cover 8-2| is readily adjusted by varyingthe sides and angles of this triangle and is simply and easily held inthe desired posi-'- tion merely by tightening the thumb screws l6thereby fixing all of the lengths ofthe sides of the said triangle andthe angles formed betwee the rods and the hull. 4

It will be obvious to those acquainted with the art that several of thefittings per se used with my invention form well known and extensivelyused articles of standard hardware which have found extensiveapplication in the analogous arts. It will be obvious that other similarparts and fittings forming substantially the equivalents thereof may besubstituted with equally satisfactory'r'esults.

The invention is obviously not limited to the flying boat type ofaircraft shown; but can also be used in conjunction with the fuselagesor other enclosed portions ofwland type aircraft. Neither is theinvention limited to positions at the top or rearward portions of afuselage asindicated in Fig. 1, but it can also be utilized for openingsin the forward positions, at the sides or other portions of thefuselage.

1. In aircraft construction, a fuselage, a hatch comprising an openingtherein, a cover member comprising a laterally curved sheet providedwith a transparent portion, longitudinally extending guide railsattached to the said fuselage, rollers pivotally attached to forwardcorners of the said cover member and engaging the said guide rails suchthat fore and aft movement of the cover member and pivotal movement ofthe same about the said rollers are permitted, and adjusting meansassociated with the opposite'corners of the said cover member wherebythe same is releasably held at any position of the said rollers withinthe said rails and at any angular position of the cover member withrespect to the said fuselage.

2. In aircraft construction, a fuselage, a hatch comprising an openingtherein, a cover member comprising a laterally curved sheet providedwith a transparent portion, longitudinally extending guide railsattached to the said fuselage,

rollers pivotally attached to forward corners of the said cover memberand engaging the said guide rails such that fore and aft movement of thecover member and pivotal movement of the same about the. said rollersare permitted, and

adjusting means associated with the opposite- -corners of the said covermember whereby the same is releasably held at a plurality of positionsof the said rollers along the said rails and at a plurality of angularpositions of the cover member with respect to the said fuselage for anygiven} roller position along said rails.

3. In aircraft construction, a fuselage, a hatch same is releasably heldat a plurality of posi-' tions of the said rollers along the said railsand at a plurality of angular positions of the cover member with respectto the said fuselage for any given roller position along said rails, thesaid adjusting means being capable of varying the distance between thepivotal attachment point at the cover member and the pivotal attachment'point within the hatch opening.

4. In aircraft construction, a fuselage, a hatch comprising an openingtherein, a cover member comprising a laterally curved sheet providedwith a transparent. portion, longitudinally extending guide railsattached to the said fuselage, rollers pivotally attached to forwardcorners of the said cover member and engaging the said guide rails suchthat fore and aft movement of i the cover member and pivotal movement ofthe same about the said rollers are permitted, and adjusting meansassociated with the opposite corners of the said cover member andpivotally and translatably associated with the said fuselage whereby thecover member is releasably held at a plurality of positions of the saidrollers with respect to the said rails and at a plurality of angularpositions of the cover member with respect to the said fuselage.

' ISAAC M. LADDON.

